“Operation Wazvitenga sei” gains momentum

The Zimbabwe Anti-Corruption Commission (ZACC) has announced that it has launched a lifestyle audit under the code name Operation “Wazvitenga Sei”.

According to the anti-graft body, the audit will result in people losing their assets to the state if they fail to account for their wealth.The Zimbabwe Anti-Corruption Commission (ZACC) has announced that it has launched a lifestyle audit under the name Operation “Wazvitenga Sei”. According to the anti-graft body, the audit will result in people losing their assets to the state if they fail to account for their wealth.A lifestyle audit involves verification of an individual’s personal expenditure patterns to determine if they are consistent with their sources of legitimate income that include salary and registered businesses which pay taxes to the treasury. It has been said that wealth and assets can be seized even if an individual is found not guilty by the courts of law.

ZACC chair Justice Loyce Matanda-Moyo said that the anti-corruption body is empowered to do this by the Money Laundering and Proceeds of Crime Amendment Act which authorizes the seizure of assets bought through proceeds of crime.

‌Speaking to the Sunday Mail, Matanda-Moyo said,“This is an intensive lifestyle audit on some of the rich people. They have to produce their invoices on what goods or services they rendered and this has to match the value of the acquired properties.We will also be checking if these people or their businesses were paying taxes. This means that the Zimbabwe Revenue Authority (Zimra) is also on board as we seek to ensure compliance to all laws.”A former Zimra revenue official Mr Kennedy Nyatoti recently lost a US$150 000 mansion and a vehicle after the taxman conducted a lifestyle audit which exposed that his earnings did not match his possessions.

In March, the Zimbabwe Republic Police (ZRP) also appealed to the public to report all police officers living larger than their professional earnings to assist in ongoing lifestyle audits meant to flush out and prosecute corrupt law enforcement officials. This follows allegations that some police officers were driving expensive vehicles while some owned a fleet of kombis, and mshika-shika pirate taxis, a lifestyle which is questionable considering their meagre earnings.